The Official Newspaper
of the
Diocese
of
Wichita
Friday, August 7, 2020 vol. CLV No. 15
The two spires that dominate the landscape in northwest Wich- ita emerged out of what was just a weed patch 12 years ago. There wasn't anything out there," Father Dan Spexarth said after driving to the location on North Ridge Road in Wichita. Bishop Jackels said there were a lot of Catholics living in north- west Wichita and we suspect it's going to grow," Father Spexarth said. "So he asked me to come out here and put some people together to try to do something beautiful to give honor to God and serve the needs of the people." That building, St. Catherine of Siena Church, is scheduled to be blessed and dedicated Sun- day, Oct. 4. The large, cruciform church is the last phase of the par- ish's multi-stage building project. The parish had humble begin- nings. Father Spexarth didn't even have a tent to sleep in out in that weed patch after being named pas- tor. I found a room out at the Red Coach Inn out on I-35 and checked into room 102. I remember I picked it because each room had two beds Fr. Dan Spexarth says the faithful in Zip Code 67205 generously responded to his request to join him to build up St. Catherine of Siena Parish. A story about the churchs stained glass windows is on page 10. (Advance photos) The church is scheduled to be finished by October.
St. Catherine of Siena nears end of church building project
A blessed parish
so I could use one for an office and I could sleep on the other one. It had free internet and included one meal!" Father Spexarth said he initially began reading everything he could about the parish's namesake. "I de- cided that the first person I wanted to fall in love with was Catherine of Siena." She is a doctor of the church and is known for her great love of the poor and the sick, he said. So I spent almost two weeks living at the Red Coach Inn and I put an ad in the newspaper saying if you live in Zip Code 67205 and you'll open your home to me I'd like to come and tell you a little bit about what we want to do," he said. The Catholics in 67205 re- sponded immediately. They opened their homes to me," he said. "I would say Mass in people's basements and their living rooms and their patios and ask them to invite some of their neighbors. I said: 'Would you like to be a part of something very new, almost apostolic?' And we did that for three months." The fledgling parish of 111 families found a metal building near the parish building site and celebrated its first Mass in Sep- tember of 2008. St. Catherine of Siena Parish now has over 1,500 families. A transitional church complet- ed in 2011 on the parish's 15-acre site was part of the first phase of construction. The school, which first rang its bells in 2011, start- ed with 64 children in kindergar- ten and first and second grades housed in what are now parish meeting rooms and a trailer. In 2014 the parish finished its school for children in kindergarten through eighth grade and began plans for the church now under construction that will be blessed and dedicated on Oct. 2. Father Spexarth said in addi- tion to all of the parishioners and others who assisted in the building efforts, Monsignor John Gilsenan also lent a hand. The pastor said he was living in the nearby Via Christi Village, an assisted living facility, when the late Msgr. Gilsenan came to live with him. He has been loved around here and beloved everywhere," Fr. Spexarth said, "and so the parish bought us a patio home." Msgr. Gilsenan was ready to retire but wasn't ready to live at the Priest Retirement Center. "So I said come and help me," Fr. Spex- (Continued on page 2)
Bishop: Fr. Hemberger serenely accepted death
Bishop Carl A. Kemme was the main celebrant at Fr. Kent Hembergers funeral Mass Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Church of the Magdalen in Wichita. (Advance photo) Bishop Carl A. Kemme said he was saddened, like all who knew Father Hemberger, to learn a few months ago that the priest had stage-four pancreatic cancer. But, also like all of you, I was truly amazed and inspired to dis- cover how accepting, serene, and at peace Father Kent was in the face of it all. From the beginning, he saw this as part of God's plan for him, and with uncommon re- solve, he embraced it with spiritual consolation and trust." With that in mind, Bishop Kemme invited those attending to offer the funeral Mass for the salvation of his soul and for the Continued on page 2 consolation of family and friends. If Father Kent could speak to us now, he would certainly say do not be sad, but be glad, for his time of suffering and pain is completed and now he lives truly and fully alive in Christ." Bishop Kemme said during the many visits he had before Fr. Hem- berger's death, the pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Ando- ver, continually talked about how he had been blessed. He would always say how blessed he was, blessed with a great family, blessed with the life and ministry of the priesthood,
Next Page